Ice-harvester



(Nomadel.) -I 2sneets-sheeu1 M. J. PAAS.

Ice Harvester. No. 242,524. Patented June 7, |881 "M minimum Q Il' IIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHI Illlllll m lll (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. J. FAAS. 10e Harvester.

No. 242,524. Patented June 7,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

MICHAEL J. FAAS, OF TARENTUM, PENNSYLVANIA.

ICE-HARVESTER.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,524, dated June 7, 1881.

Application filed Fehruary19,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. FAAS, of Tarentum, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Harvesters 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to ice-harvestin g machinery-that is, machinery for sawing into strips or blocks the ice as it lies on the surface of the water.

The invention consists in aframe-work or carriage vertically adjustable and having two modes of support, one a set of wheels which give the carriage movement in the direction in which the saw operates, and the other a pair of slides which permitlateral movement ofthe carriage for a fresh cut. Further, in constructing the supporting-wheels so that when they are revolved they will catch in the ice and feed the whole carriage forward or backward, as desired; and it further consists in a vertical adjustment by which the saw may be lowered with the carriage for cutting, or'may be elevated for lateral movement to take a fresh cut; and it finally consists in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully de scribed and claimed.,

Referring to the aecompan yin g drawings, the invention will be fully understood from the following:

Figure l is a side elevation ofthe machine. Fig. 2 is arear end elevation. Fie. 3 is a transverse vertical section on linea' x of Fig. l.

A A A, Src., designate the parts of the framework or carriage, built in any suitable form or design. In suitable bearings on this carriage is the main shaft B, which is revolved by handpower ora steam-engine, which may be carried on the frame-work, or the shaft B may,in fact, be revolved by any means found most available or suitable tothe circumstances. On shalt B lsa large spur-wheel, G, which meshes with a pimon, D, keyed on a counter-shaft, E, which, like the shaft B, crosses the frame or carriage A transversely. Pinion D, in turn, meshes with another pinion, F, under it, and this piuion F is fixed on the spindle G of a circular saw, lll, which is set so as to revolve ina plane parallel with the length ofthe carriage A, and preferably just beside the lower timber or bar of said carriage. Motion given shaft A is thus communicated to saw Il, and if the latter be made with V-teeth the saw will cut in either direction.

On the counter-shaft E is keyed, also, a beveled or initered spur-wheel, I, which meshes at right angles with a mitered pinion, J, keyed on a shaft, K, which runs lengthwise of the carriage, as shown, and has the bearing L on a bar crossing the carriage near the counter shaft E, and a bearin g at the other end consistin gof a bridge-piece, M, which springs from the two lower side bars of the carriage-frame.

The shaft K has, near bridge M, a worm-gear,

N, which meshes with a pinion, 0, set on an axle, P, which is transversely journaled in the lower side bars ofthe carriage A, as shown.

Fixed to the ends of the axle P are the wheels Q, having a broad face, as shown. The face of each wheel Q is armed with three rows of chisel-edged spikes, c b b, a central row, a, whose edges are circumferential, and two side rows, b b, which are set so as to alternate with those of row c, and whose edges are at right angles with the edges of row c. The other end of the carriage A is supported on the wheels 1t, suitably journaled, and each provided with a single row of spikes, c, having their chisel edges circumferentially arranged like row a on wheels Q. Thus constructed the motion imparted to the countershaft E from main shaft B is transferred to shaft K, and its revolution is, by means of the worm-gear N and O, transferred to the wheels Q, the motion of course being very much re duced in speed by this form of gearing.

To support and elevate the frame A, and with it the saw H and wheels Q and B, the following construction is adopted: A shaft,S, is set in bearings T on top of the carriage, and stands longitudinally. The two pinions d cl are fixed ou shaft S, as represented, and each meshes with a vertical rack, WV, passing ,up through the frame-Work and guided thereby. Rack W at each end forms a vertical upward prolongation of a frame, c c c and e c c',wh0se sides pass down through holes inthe lower part of frame A, and are guided thereby so IOO that the rack W alld frame e e earecompletely guided so as to lllove accurately in a. vertical plane. Upon rotating the shaft S the piniolls d d cause the racks W to rise or fall, accordill g to the illitial position and the direction of revolution, shaft S bcill g provided with cranks f or halld-wlleels for that purpose. The upward lilnit being reaclled, is maintained by a pawl, g, taking illto the ratchet-wheel h, and the downward limit is nlaintained by pawli and ratchet 7c, ratcllets h k being fixed to the shaft S at any desired or convenient points. The lower ends of the side bars, e, of each of the frames c c e and e' e e' are formed with transverse slots m, through which pass the transversely-set runners VV', respectively, as shown. The runners V V are armed at their ends with claws j), wllose teeth are chisel-edged alld lie parallel with the plallc of revolution of saw 1I.

The lnachine thus constructed operates in the following manner: Suppose the ice-field to be selected and all ill readiness. The machine is set on the ice, after beillg elevated upon the runners V V', so thatJ the wlleels alld saw are clear of the ice. rlhe propel' direction having becll arranged, the shalt B is set ill motioll by whatever power is to be used, alld after getting sutlicient speed pawl t' is disengaged and the whole frame gradually lowered. Saw H beill g so located tllat it will tone-h and cnt illto or through the ice before wheels Q and R touch the ice, the gradual lowering of the frame causes the saw to enter the ice, so that wllen wheels Q alld R rest tirnlly upon the ice the saw is ill position to work. Now, as before stated, the wlleels Q, alld R sustain the machine, instead of the runners V V', alld the wllole weight is held upon them by the pawl g, which prevents the runllers V V' from lowering. 'lhe lnotion being maintained wllile saw H rotates with the proper velocity, the wheels Q are also slowl y revolved. 'lhese being armed, as before described, catch in the ice and propel the wllole machine steadily in wllicllever direct-ion it is desired to go, according to the directioll of motion' givell shaft B. This propulsion ofthe machine will always be ill a straight lille, owillg to the guiding-spikes a. alld c ill rows upon wheels Q and R. After a sntlicient length ot' cut has been made cranks j" are used to elevate the carriage upon the runners VV', so as to clear the wlleels Q R and saw H oil' the ice, the elevated positioll being maintained by the pawl t' and ratcllet k. Then the wllole lllaclline is pushed laterally away from the kerl' or cnt iust nlade, sliding easily on the lateral runners V V', which are, as before shown, spiked to prevent lateral dragginff. Wllell the machine has been pushed till the saw H is about in the line of a. new cut the lnotoll of shaft B is renewed alld the previous operations repeated. Operatingback and forth ill this lnallller, the nlachine can cnt all enormous alnoullt of ice.

'lhe saw H maybe of any size, either of a. dianleter to cutclear through the ice or smaller, so as -to cut only a portion of the way, leaving the ice intact, ill which latter case the machine may be used to give a set of kerfs at right angies to those first made, t-hus cutting the ice illto rectangular blocks which are easily sepav rated. Ally available power may bc used. Foot-boards X are provided for the operators.

Saw Il may have all aploll covering it above the ioot-board, so as to protect the operators from the ilying particles or chips of ice.

I claiml. An ice-harvester consisting of' a lnotive shaft, a circular saw operated thereby, two or lnore spiked wheels geared to the motive shaft alld sustaining the machine, alld vertically-adjustablc transverse runners constituting snbstitnte supports for the machine, ill colllbinatioll with sllltable mealls for elevating the machine on said transverse rullllers alld sliding or rollillg it laterally thereon, substantially as described.

2. 1n all ice-harvester, thepropellillg-\\'heels Q, geared to the lnotive power alld having the circnlnferentially-edged spikes aand the transversely-edged spikes b arranged on its face ill rows, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the propelling-wheels Q, having the chisel edged spikes a b b, arranged as described, with the supporting wlleels R, having the spikes c, with their chiseledges cil-coniferen tial, substantially as specilied.

4. The combination of carriagl A, carrying the wheels Q, alld R, alld the gearing from the motive shaft B, with the longitudinal shaft S, spur-wheels d d', racks W W, frames. c e', and runners V V', with suitable means of maintaining said parts at either lilllit of vertical lnotioll of frames c c', substantially as set fort-h.

In trstinlony that I clailn the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflxed my signature in presellce of two witnesses.

MICHAEL J. FAAS.

Witllesscs:

T. J. MGTIGHE, J AMES J. Mc'lIGnn.

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